


burning man

by staydown



Category: The Real Bros of Simi Valley (Web Series)
Genre: F/F, Friends to Lovers, Recreational Drug Use, idk how to use tags, lesbians in the desert!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-17 12:35:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29717274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/staydown/pseuds/staydown
Summary: dani and tessa go to burning man.
Relationships: Dani (The Real Bros of Simi Valley)/Tessa (The Real Bros of Simi Valley)





	1. it only takes two hours to nevada

**Author's Note:**

> basically i just thought this fandom needed some lesbians so i wrote this based on whatever episode in season 2 had them going to burning man and yonder saying he thought they were hooking up. i don't really write fanfic ever so i don't think my writing style works that well for this format but pls be patient with me i am learning!
> 
> this is fiction, obviously. chapter title is from Yayo by Lana Del Rey.

This wasn’t going to be a problem. It wasn’t. Dani wondered if repeating this to herself enough would make it true.

She chanced a look over at Tessa, whose blonde hair was whipping into her face, getting caught under her sunglasses and in her cherry-red lip gloss. The AC in her Corolla had broken halfway to Nevada, so they had all the windows rolled down, the hot desert breeze doing nothing for Dani’s riled nerves. Tessa was nodding her head to whatever rap song was blasting over the radio and smiling slightly, tapping a manicured finger on the steering wheel in time with the beat. It wasn’t fair of her to look this good, Dani thought, not on the first of what would be nine days on the Playa. She tugged idly at the ripped hem of her shorts and wished she’d brought her Juul— she and Tessa had agreed they would go all natural this week, whatever that meant. Dani assumed it had to do with a lot of weed and shrooms, maybe acid if they were lucky. The thought, which usually excited her, made her a bit sick. She was notorious for running off at the mouth when she was under the influence of anything, much less psychedelics, and she couldn’t help but imagine, in horror, herself professing her undying love to Tessa in a tripped-out haze. She suppressed a groan at the thought and ran a hand through her hair.

“You good, Dani?” Tessa half-shouted over the roar of the wind and the pounding bass. Dani blinked and looked at her, taking a moment to snap out of her reverie.

“Yeah, I’m great,” she replied, a little too loudly. Just the thought that Tessa was concerned about her made her heart leap a little.

Tessa turned the music down until it was barely audible. “Are you nervous?” she asked, at a normal volume this time. Dani thought she should really be looking at the road, but couldn’t help but melt a little as Tessa pushed her sunglasses up onto her head and looked at her intently with those piercing green eyes Dani could drown in.

“A little,” she admitted, rubbing her arm. “Always am, you know?”

Tessa nodded, and reached over to squeeze Dani’s hand reassuringly. “It’ll be such a blast, I promise. And, like, if it isn’t, we can always dip.” She grinned at her before returning her hand to the wheel, and Dani sat frozen for a moment before wiping her sweaty hand on her thigh and weakly returning her smile.

“I’m glad it’s just us this year,” she blurted out. “You know, like— no boyfriends. Or fiancés.”

Tessa laughed, and the sound made Dani’s heart sore. “Me too,” she said. “Not like Duncan would’ve ever wanted to come to this anyway. Too much staying up past his bedtime.”

“Ouch.” Dani was grateful for the common ground. “I was thinking his problem with the Burn would be, like, doing any drugs stronger than weed.”

“What a pussy,” Tessa said, shaking her head. “But it’s just me and my bitch this time!” She slammed the gas, making the car leap forward. Dani yelped, then whooped along with Tessa as they sped down the freeway. She dangled her arm out the window and let the hot air swirl through her fingertips, and Tessa turned the music back up. This was their favorite song.

Things had been different since Tessa showed up at Duncan’s birthday party— not bad different, just… different. Dani hadn’t realized how much she’d missed Tessa until she saw her walk into that axe throwing bar, laughing with her new friends, the glitter on her eyelids glinting in the low light. Dani had felt something then, something strange and new but not altogether unpleasant. She should still be mad at her, she was pretty sure, but she was frustrated with Duncan and a little drunk and a little lonely, so she didn’t think twice as she eagerly pushed through the sweaty crowd to reach her friend.

It was strange when they talked, more nervous laughter and prolonged eye contact than Dani was used to, but she realized she didn’t mind. Something stirred excitedly inside her anytime Tessa caught her gaze, or shot her a little secret smile Dani knew was meant for her alone. She wanted to blame the alcohol; she knew it would be a lie. The music pounded around them, intermingled with the occasional angry roar when one of the boys missed the target with their axe, but Dani found herself forgetting about the party altogether, instead getting caught up in the way Tessa’s deep voice could effortlessly carry over the buzz. Why had Lexy and Molly been angry with her, again? Suddenly, whatever petty disagreement had split them apart seemed impossibly stupid. Tessa giggled and tossed her hair behind her shoulder, and Dani stared. It was only when the boys realized she was there that shit hit the fan.

But something had shifted, probably for good, so when Duncan asked Dani in front of everyone to choose between him and Tessa, she knew the answer before he even finished the question. Now, belting along to the radio with Tessa as they pulled into a sandy parking lot, Dani knew with a painful clarity that she would always choose her— over Duncan, over anyone.

It wouldn’t be a problem, though, Dani assured herself. They were just two friends going to a nine day music-festival-slash-cult-gathering together. That was all.


	2. Take another drag, turn me to ashes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Um.” Tessa looked at the ground. “Shotgunning… I’ve heard it dilutes the weed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is a no-ridiculous-outfits au because i cannot physically bring myself to write that in. also can you tell i know nothing about burning man?
> 
> this is fiction! chapter title is from diet mountain dew by lana del rey because apparently that's the only artist i listen to.

It was the second night, and Dani was drunk.

She and Tessa had spent the first night setting up their campsite (the term “campsite” maybe being too generous) and had spent most of that morning getting to know their neighbors, the majority of whom were twenty-something Californians like themselves, except with less clothes and more piercings. It was an uncharacteristically cool day in Black Rock Desert, and an even cooler night. Dani hadn’t packed accordingly, and, looking around, no one else had either.

But it didn’t matter, not now, not when she and Tessa were dancing to whatever shitty EDM was bumping from the speakers in the party they’d found, shouting and laughing in the strobe lights and the haze of weed smoke. Under the brilliant desert stars, surrounded by skinny hippies with long braids and plastic jewels stuck to their faces, Dani felt like she had entered another world altogether. They’d brought their own liquor, but the way the night was going, she thought they would be lucky if it lasted half the week. She wondered what she would have to do to get more from someone, seeing as she wouldn’t be able to pay for it with real money. 

The thought was vanquished, however, as she felt Tessa yank her wrist to get her attention. “Daniiiii! Do you wanna hit this?” she yelled over the music. She was holding out a half-smoked blunt, still bouncing to the abrasive beat. 

“Where did you get that?” Dani giggled. She knew it was probably a bad idea to smoke a stranger’s weed, but the alcohol seemed to overpower the worry, and she nodded, grinning. As she reached out to take it, she managed to trip over her own feet on the smooth ground, falling into Tessa’s arms with a shriek of mirth.  _ She’s warm,  _ Dani thought hazily. She didn’t want to move.

“Dude, you are  _ wasted! _ ” Tessa cackled, shoving her back onto her feet. “Maybe you don’t need any more shit in your system right now.” 

Dani, still reeling from the feeling of Tessa pushing her upright by her shoulders, shook her head and pouted. “Noooo,” she whined. “I want it! Give it to me!” She grabbed for the blunt, and Tessa just laughed.

“Wait, wait, hang on,” Tessa said. She leaned in so Dani could hear her, and her warm breath against Dani’s ear sent shivers down the brunette’s spine. “I have an idea.” 

Dani looked at her, confused. With a little smirk on her face, Tessa raised the blunt to her lips and took a long drag, not breaking eye contact. Dani was hypnotized. A cold breeze swirled through the crowd of ravers, but Dani’s whole body was alight.

Tessa handed the blunt to some white dude with dreadlocks and then took Dani’s face in her hands, pulling her down a little so their faces were level. Dani’s heart dropped. Heat seemed to radiate from the places where Tessa’s skin touched hers. 

“Are you ready?” Tessa asked, and somehow Dani could hear her crystal clear even as the bass thrummed in her eardrums. “Open your mouth.” And then she was leaning in and Dani didn’t close her eyes as Tessa blew the smoke into her mouth, close and slow and impossibly tender. The world spun, but Dani felt more sober than she had all night. She stood frozen and staring into Tessa’s green eyes, forgetting entirely to inhale until her friend put her hand under her chin, gently pushing her mouth closed. She sucked the smoke into her lungs and then let it back out, not holding her breath long enough for it to work. She didn’t care. Tessa was gazing at her, looking dazed, the smirk on her face gone. It felt like a heavy gravity was pulling their faces closer, centimeter by tantalizing centimeter. The music boomed, but they weren’t dancing. Dani was acutely aware of Tessa’s hands, lingering on her face— she fluttered her eyes shut and leaned into the touch, just a tiny tilt of her head, and only then did her friend pull away, breaking the spell with a nervous cough.

“Um.” Tessa looked at the ground. “Shotgunning… I’ve heard it dilutes the weed.”

“Yeah. Uh, yeah. Thanks.” Dani shook her head a little and tucked her hair behind her ears. She was dizzy; she didn’t know whether to feel giddy or sick. Her mind, sluggish with alcohol and the faintest tinge of weed, was racing.  _ What the fuck, what the fuck.  _

“Hey.” Tessa took her hand, and Dani looked at her, trying to blink away the drunkenness. “I’m sick of this party. Wanna head back?”

Dani nodded gratefully, and let Tessa lead her through the sweaty crowd until they finally broke free, stumbling out into the cool night. With the stench of weed and hippies gone, Dani found it easier to breathe normally. She sucked down the dry air and looked up at the sky, which had stopped spinning. The stars were indescribably bright, the brightest she had ever seen in her life. She stopped walking and stood, breathless, gazing up at the dazzling display of lights above her. She felt Tessa pause next to her— she felt her gaze on her face.

“You don’t see shit like this in Simi.”

Dani looked at her, and now she was peering up at the sky too. The stars shone dimly from their reflection in Tessa’s eyes. It looked like whole galaxies, captured just for this moment in her irises.

“No,” Dani agreed. “It’s beautiful, huh?”

“ _ Gorgeous _ .”

Dani wasn’t sure how long they stood like that, close together even though there was no one around, Tessa mesmerized by the constellations and Dani mesmerized by Tessa, music bumping softly from the party they’d left. She realized with a jolt that Tessa was still holding her hand. She turned back to the sky again and smiled to herself.

“You still drunk?” Tessa asked softly.

“Yeah.”

“Me too. That’s all right.”

They walked slowly back to their campsite. Tessa had dropped her hand, but it was okay. They passed other people’s parties, song circles, shadowy figures climbing towering sculptures that would be gone by the end of the week. Something was burning, and the rich woody aroma made Dani strangely nostalgic for something she was sure she’d never experienced. Tessa’s sandals scuffed on the cold sand, and Dani wanted to lie down with her, stay forever in the desert under the stars with the smell of smoke hanging in the air. That was probably the vodka talking. They reached their car, and Dani wasn’t sure how they ended up asleep sprawled over the same sleeping bag, arms and legs touching, but she let it happen, thinking maybe everything was going to work out after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> come hang on twitter or tumblr :)
> 
> https://twitter.com/sharksmiile
> 
> https://www.tumblr.com/blog/view/2hrs2nevada
> 
> if u know me irl and u read this no u didn't <3 please never speak to me about it <3


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